Recreational marijuana: differences in the cannabis industry

Marijuana is famous for its psychoactive effects and it has put the plant at the center of attention. There are many compounds found in cannabis and one if this is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Recreational and medical marijuana

The key difference between recreational and medical marijuana is the composition of compounds within each strain. As such, it has higher THC content than medical marijuana. Its main purpose is to get the user “high”. When countries or regions want to get into the cannabis industry, they typically avoid recreational marijuana. Instead, they ease the public into the medical variant.

The medical variant of marijuana contains low amounts of THC. However, it does make up for it with generous amounts of the beneficial compound cannabidiol (CBD). Many studies currently look into CBD.

Differences between THC and CBD

Although research is ongoing, there are already a few CBD benefits that have been scientifically proven. Some benefits include the ability to lower the risk of diabetes, heart diseases and cancer. Other benefits include its ability to reduce pain and inflammation. Researchers are now focusing on CBD’s ability to cure epilepsy and psychological disorders as well.

CBD’s benefits have made it a rising star in the health and wellness sector. Along with hemp—the cannabis plant with high amounts of CBD and trace amounts of THC—CBD has become one of the more formidable markets to branch out of the cannabis industry.

Are hemp and CBD the new breadwinners of cannabis?

Hemp and hemp-derivatives are at the front and center of the new trends, and sales are expected to surpass the $1 billion mark by the end of this year. Experts also believe that hemp products will also begin to overtake marijuana’s spot as the cannabis industry’s front runner.

Today’s numbers are already surprising, but experts have a more positive outlook on the future of hemp. The market expects to reach $1.9 billion by 2022 in the U.S. More than half expects to come from CBD sales.

Unlike the marijuana industry, there is not much stunting the growth of hemp and CBD in terms of laws. Since these products contain trace amounts of CBD, the products are easily available across the U.S. The general rule of thumb is that products must not contain more than 0.3 percent of THC to become legal. Many small businesses including hotels, cafes, and spas have even found a spot for CBD in their establishments.

Beyond these small establishments, there are also certain companies that are at the center of the new trend, and some are already meeting an unprecedented success.

CBD researcher and developer PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTCMKTS:POTN) is one of the companies that are pushing for the rise of the beneficial compound. The company’s staff is made up of industry experts and medical professionals that work to retain the quality of the compound when it is extracted from premium-quality hemp through a process called supercritical CO2 extraction.

The names behind the success

The resulting CBD oil is then used to create an assortment of products like flavored oils, tinctures, pet food and more, which are distributed through Diamond CBD, Inc. In terms of sales, the company has been able to generate over $12 million during the first half of 2018, and better numbers are expected for the second half.

POTN also assures its clients and investors that it adheres with regulatory standards. The company has even successfully filed its Form 10 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) along with third-party Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) auditor certification. From this point forward, POTN’s financial information will be verified by the PCAOB.

The hemp and CBD industries are on an upward momentum, and it seems like there is no stopping the movement for now. Behind these industries are companies that continue to rally using amazing products and adherence to regulatory standards that allow people to see them as legitimate market leaders.

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(Feature Image by El Diablo)

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